Kentucky is a good place to start a medical career.
If you prefer working in an administrative branch, you should check out coding and billing.
Look below in order to learn more about what such a job entails, along with training requirements.
Article Table of Contents
What is Medical Coding?
Medical coding is a collection of shortcodes used by healthcare providers for a variety of purposes, most commonly for invoicing patients.
There are several types of codes, and you will need to know how to work with and organize them.
These codes represent medical services and ailments.
There are 3 major types of codes:
- CPT,
- ICD,
- HCPCS
In Kentucky, you will need to have to be familiar with the CPT, ICD-10-CMN, and HCPCS Level II codes.
If you want to get into coding, you need to get the CPC certification.
What is Medical Billing?
Those who work in the medical field need to be paid for the services they are offering.
This process entails sending an invoice to the customer as well as the insurance company.
The process of doing so is called billing and requires you to be familiar with the reimbursement process.
You will also have to know how insurance works, and be fluent in certain terminology.
When it comes to the certification you need, you should know that the CPB certification is needed for billing.
Getting the Appropriate Education and Certification
While billing and coding are very similar, they are still 2 separate professions of the same branch.
In order to start your career in the industry, you will need to get trained.
The training is being done in a school, which needs to be accredited by the AAPC.
AAPC is the biggest association that deals with the medical industry in the country.
The schools you can train in Kentucky can be seen below.
School Name | Address |
---|---|
ATA COLLEGE | 10180 Linn Station Rd Ste A200 Louisville, KY |
DAYMAR COLLEGE | 2421 Industrial Dr, Bowling Green, KY 42101 |
INTERACTIVE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY | 76 Carothers Road Newport, KY |
MEDTECH COLLEGE | 1648 McGrathiana Pkwy #200 Lexington, KY |
MIDWAY COLLEGE | 512 E. Stephens St Midway, KY |
NATIONAL COLLEGE | 2376 Sir Barton Way Lexington, KY |
ROSS MEDICAL EDUCATION CENTER | 1751 Scottsville Rd Ste 1 Bowling Green, KY |
ROSS MEDICAL EDUCATION CENTER | 600 Rodeo Drive, Ste. 2 Erlanger, KY |
ROSS MEDICAL EDUCATION CENTER | 410 Southtown Boulevard Owensboro, KY |
SPENCERIAN COLLEGE | 1575 Winchester Road Lexington, KY |
SPENCERIAN COLLEGE | 4627 Dixie Hwy Louisville, KY |
SULLIVAN UNIVERSITY | 3101 Bardstown Rd Louisville, KY |
When selecting a school, you should consider whether you want to attend a program in person or online.
You should know that it is easier to get into either billing or coding, as the training does not last for longer than 8 months.
After the program is completed, you can get hired right away if your school offers job placement options.
You will not need to attend college to get a job in the field, but you do need to have a high-school diploma or a GED.
You will also need to take an exam that will test your theory and practical skills.
Expected Salary
The job market for medical billing and coding in Kentucky keeps growing, as reported by the BLS.
If you get hired in a larger city in the state, you can earn a higher salary.
Some of these regions include Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, Lexington-Fayette, Bowling Green, and Huntington-Ashland.
The wage you will make also varies based on the years of job experience you have.
You can also choose to get certified for both billing and coding at the same time.
This will provide you with a better job and a higher salary.
Annual Salary Range:Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
---|---|
Louisville | $36,124 |
Lexington | $36,074 |
Bowling Green | $34,531 |
Owensboro | $35,977 |
Covington | $37,461 |
Richmond | $35,709 |
Georgetown | $36,054 |
Florence | $37,445 |
Hopkinsville | $34,477 |
Nicholasville | $36,013 |
Regional Salary in Kentucky
Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bowling Green, KY | 160 | $46,600 | $22.41 | $62,330 | $34,680 |
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY | 60 | $49,480 | $23.79 | $74,310 | $37,180 |
Lexington-Fayette, KY | 630 | $49,690 | $23.89 | $64,870 | $37,150 |
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 1,130 | $48,860 | $23.49 | $67,580 | $34,740 |
Owensboro, KY | 80 | $46,130 | $22.18 | $53,340 | $32,350 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Other Info
If you passed the exam and got your certification, you can start looking for a job.
The following employers are the biggest in the state:
- Williamson ARH Hospital: Some of the employment benefits this facility provides include dental and vision insurance, a 401k plan, paid leave and vacation time, and flex spending accounts.
- Baptist Hospital Northeast: If you work in this hospital, you can get benefits as disability plans, sick pay, vacation time, flex spending accounts, and health insurance.
- Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital: This hospital offers tuition reimbursement, several insurance policies, sick days off, paid vacation time, a 403b retirement plan, disability plans, and bereavement leave.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Medical Biller and Coder